Family History
by rationalbookworm
Summary: AU. Sequel to Daughters Of Time. Family isn't always about blood...but sometimes it helps. Billie and Josie discover their family while flying through time in a little blue box.
1. Prologue: Human Plus

**Here it is! The sequel to Daughters Of Time! I'm so excited for this! Doctor Who really is my favorite show of all time and this AU really feels like my baby. I love it so much. I hope you enjoy it, but if you don't feel free to leave without leaving negative comments. They will be ignored.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who still doesn't belong to me.**

A groan. Stirring.

Jack jolted up from his slumped position on the chair in the corner. He started nodding off an hour ago when it became clear that neither the Professor nor the Doctor could do anything to wake the comatose girls. Glancing around the room for the source of the noise, he found both Josie and Billie still laid out on their cots, crisp white blankets covering their bodies to keep them warm. The Doctor was slumped over in his chair, overcoat and jacket gone, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, arms crossed on Josie's bed, and his head laying close to her body. His gravity defying hair was in even more disarray than usual from the amount of times he'd run his hands through it. The Professor was leaning back in his own chair on the other side of the room beside Billie's bed, head lolling on his shoulders and one arm outstretched to hold onto her hand. He too was missing his leather jacket, however, unlike the Doctor's, it was still in sight, wrapped around Billie's shoulders.

Jack grinned as he recalled the Professor gently lifting the unconscious human to put it there, ignoring the pointed stare the other male was throwing him. That poor daft alien was always so overprotective of Billie, but to actually wrap her up in his own coat as if that would help her recover was going a bit far. Jack had opened his mouth to say something teasing to the older man but snapped his mouth shut when the Professor sent him the most intense scowl he'd ever gotten. Not even when he first met the two Time Lords and tried to con them did he get such a heated glare. If looks could kill…

Another groan brought him back to reality. Hard. His eyes darted to both girls, trying to figure out which one was coming back to them. Billie stirred slightly, her eyes tightening as her nose scrunched up and her head turned toward the Professor, as if instinctively knowing he was there. At the same moment, he caught Josie twitch, her hand accidentally smacking the Doctor in the face causing him to jump and nearly fall out of his chair. Jack laughed as he jumped up to stand between the two women he considered sisters, unsure of which one to go to first.

"They're waking up," he exclaimed excitedly at the Doctor's dumbfounded expression. The Professor shot out of his chair, his hand tightening around Billie's as he leaned over her, eyes scanning her face for any sign of consciousness as the Doctor did the same to Josie, squeezing her hand in hopes of getting a reaction.

"Doctor…" the hoarse whisper floated up from the redhead, making the Doctor's face split into a large grin.

"Hello," he said breathlessly, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hello," she answered with a weak grin.

Billie seemed to be waking up as well, the Professor bent so low over her form, Jack could swear he saw his lips brush hers momentarily as he whispered to her, too low for anyone else to hear.

It was quite a while before either couple took notice of Jack again. Billie was now sitting up, the Professor sitting behind her, holding her against his chest like he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go, while across the room Josie was being scanned by the Doctor who was babbling away a mile a minute so not even his brother would be able to understand him.

Billie rolled her eyes and waved Jack over to give him a hug, "God, it's good to be back."

He chuckled, rubbing her back lightly before he let go, "Good to have you back, Jeanie. No more scaring us like that, okay?"

She smiled weakly, leaning back into the Professor's embrace, "Promise."

The Professor sighed as he momentarily buried his nose in her hair, "Want to tell us what you're doing, Theta."

He was quiet, staring wide-eyed at the screen beside Josie's cot, one hand still grasped in the redhead's. His mouth opened and closed a few times, imitating a fish.

"Doctor," Josie tugged on his hand to gain his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he whispered, turning to stare at her in shock. "Absolutely nothing. That's the problem. Both you and Billie show no signs that anything has happened."

Josie's brow wrinkled, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, of course," he nodded hurriedly, "But there should be _something_ to show that you almost…to show what just happened. But by the look of these tests you two may as well have been just napping."

Jack gaped at the Doctor, sinking down onto the cot beside the Professor and Billie, "So…what does that mean?"

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Well, I…er…may have done a more thorough exam when the abnormality popped up…"

"And?" the Professor hissed, tired of the Doctor's rambling.

"Well…Josie and Billie…aren't…exactly….human."

There was a beat of silence before four confused voices shouted, "What!"

The Doctor spun back to the monitor, babbling about extra chromosomes and familiar DNA. Jack pretty much tuned him out, moving to look over his shoulder to see for himself. He was shocked to not only see samples of blood from Josie and Billie labeled on the screen but also one from himself. A few strands were highlighted in each, showing similarities. "They're Human Plus…like me."

The Doctor nodded, "Very much like you, actually."

"Wait," Josie ordered. "What does that mean?"

"A hundred or so years in your future humans begin to evolve. Their basic structures change with every new world they discover, altering so they can survive in each new place until, around Jack's time, they become what people call Human Plus, though only those who travel often through space _and _time have this level of change. Your cells have already started slowing down. At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if you stopped aging altogether soon. That's about twice as fast as Jack."

"So," Billie tilted her head to the side in thought. "We became Human Plus when we started traveling with you?"

"Yes and no," the Professor answered, sounding a little shell-shocked. "The only way for you to change on that level would be if you were born with that potential. Potential someone from your time shouldn't have." He subconsciously gripped her a little tighter.

"I really don't understand," Josie frowned.

"There's more," the Doctor said, now more eagerly. "It seemed like they were all just a little too similar so I took an even _closer_ look. If you look here, here, and here, you'll see more than just similarities. They're _exactly_ the same."

Jack's eyes widened in understanding, "But…but that means…" a smile began to form on his face. He'd never thought this would be possible. How _was_ this possible?

The Doctor nodded, smiling slightly at the girls as he explained, "It seems, not only are you Human Plus, but you also have the same father."

"What!" both girls shouted.

"And," he continued, ignoring them as he pushed Jack in front of them, gesturing to him dramatically, "Meet your big brother, Jack Harkness."


	2. Animal City: Visions Of The Future

**Sorry. It's been over a month since I updated this, I know. September really kicked my ass in the real world. I'll try to be better. But at least you finally get the first episode of Family History! Yay! **

**Also, just wanted to know, how many of you saw that coming from the last chapter? I tried to make it something of a surprise, but idk. I'm usually not very good at that.**

**Disclaimer: I heard you could kidnap the characters to make them yours. I'm gonna try it. I'll keep you posted, but until then, nothing is mine...**

Josie jolted awake, springing up into a sitting position as her eyes darted throughout the room to assure herself that she was actually awake. It had been a few months since she'd found out she, Billie, and Jack were related and they were all Human Plus. And it had been even longer since she'd had a vision come out of nowhere like that. She'd become rather proficient at seeing the signs of one approaching, but somehow she'd missed this one until she fell asleep and got caught in its web.

The light suddenly flicked on, startling her further until she saw the Doctor's lanky form in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking adorable in a pair of pinstripe pajama bottoms and no top. She filed away the image for later as she slumped against the headboard and patted the space next to her, signaling him to drop down under the covers, still half asleep.

"Tell me about it," he prompted, knowing she wouldn't say anything otherwise.

She shuddered, curling close to the alien for comfort. She didn't begin whispering her answer until after he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer, and tucked her head securely under his chin, "Billie. And…and blood. There was so much blood."

"Shh," he hushed, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's alright. Nothing will happen to Billie, I promise."

But they both knew the truth. Josie's visions always came true, no matter what. Still, as the Doctor sank down into her bed, gently tugging her down against him, Josie couldn't help but relax. Her muscles went slack as she curled herself against the alien's chest, his double heart beat pounding against her ear and his comforting scent wafting up her nose as his hand rubbed soothing circles into her back. When sleep finally found her once more, Josie was relieved to find her dreams nightmare and vision free. Instead they were filled with laughter and a dark haired, blue eyed baby boy, toddling around the TARDIS.

A few hours later, she eased back into consciousness, acutely aware of the lack of a warm body next to hers. She frowned, stretching out without bothering to get up before blinking around her room. The lack of evidence of her late night visitor had her doubting her horrid vision. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Rolling out of bed with a grunt, Josie quickly went through her morning routine, ignoring the voice in her head that was remarkably like the Doctor's saying there was no morning on the TARDIS, and went out in search of food.

Billie was standing at the stove flipping banana pancakes, judging by the smell, and humming to herself while the stereo played a popular station from their home time. Jack was sitting at the table sipping coffee and reading a paper from _his_ time with a small smile. The Professor sat next to him, sleeves of his leather jacket and jumper pushed up as he tinkered with something that looked suspiciously like the toaster that had went missing last week. The Doctor was still nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't really a surprise. For aliens not needing much sleep, it was almost always the Doctor that stumbled into the kitchen last in the mornings. Josie wasn't sure she wanted to know what he got up to before joining them.

"Morning," she mumbled, moving around the table, kissing Jack on the top of the head, and grabbing her favorite Disneyland mug she'd gotten from the thirty-third century. It had been their first trip since Amy's wedding and had been a bit of a vacation. They spent the day riding every ride and meeting as many characters as possible. Josie and Billie had even gotten princess makeovers. Billie as Belle and Josie as Ariel. It had been fun and Josie could honestly say she would love to go back sometime, but with them not aging anymore (or aging really, really slowly. Whatever) it could wait a few decades.

"Morning," Jack murmured around a yawn.

"Good morning," Billie said, handing her a large plate of pancakes for the table as Josie poured a cup of coffee for herself, adding milk and sugar. The Professor just grunted as Billie shuffled over, nudging him to take his things off the table so they could eat. Josie bit her tongue to stop a chuckle, meeting Jack's equally amused gaze over his paper. Billie had seemed to settle into a mothering type of roll for most of them, though Jack often joked that that meant the Professor must be their father figure. Internally, Josie could kind of see that even if he wasn't the greatest father figure around, but she'd keep that insight to herself.

They had just begun to dig in when the Doctor came in, hands buried in the pockets of his brown pinstripe pants. "Gooooood morning, all!" he called cheerfully, plopping down into the only empty seat between Josie and the Professor. He thanked Billie for his favorite breakfast, smacking his lips unnecessarily making Josie giggle and the Professor roll his eyes though he too was digging in enthusiastically.

At first Josie was too distracted by her own breakfast to see it, but eventually she caught the Doctor eyeing Billie carefully as if waiting for her to collapse where she was sitting closer than necessary to the Professor. Her stomach churned, her appetite disappearing as her vision from the night before flashed through her mind once more. Her eyes locked with the Doctor's and he smiled sadly. She took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. She'd be watching Billie closer than normally as well. It wasn't that she thought she could stop her vision, but at least she'd be able to be there for her newly found sister whenever it did come to pass.

* * *

"So I was thinking," Billie began, walking into the console room where the rest of her traveling family were lounging around. The Professor immediately looked up from beneath the console at the sound of her voice. They'd been sticking together even more than before Amy's wedding. She just felt safer when she could feel his presence, whether in her head or physically next to her. Plus, her experience with the future Professor in her mind had given her confidence in her growing feelings that she hadn't had before. She was hoping the close proximity could help ease their relationship into something more than just close friendship.

"Why do I get the feeling that we should be worried?" Josie joked from where she was leaning against Jack on the jump seat.

Billie stuck her tongue out at her, her childish side coming out momentarily, "Just listen. I was thinking, Jack has traveled all over the twenty-first century, but we have only been a couple times to the fifty-first. And even then it wasn't on Earth. Or well, on a part of Earth we will not be discussing." All five travelers shuddered at the memory.

"_Feeling sentimental?_" the Professor's voice teased in her head. "_He'll love it._"

She smiled at the Professor before turning to her brother, "I for one would love to see the world you grew up in."

Jack's smile lit up the whole room, "Really?" He glanced at Josie who was bouncing excitedly, her grin a mile wide.

"Oh, this is gonna be so much fun," she chattered. "Can we go shopping while we're there? And the food! We need to try something very fifty-first century! Oh! We should go to a city we've never been to before! That will make even more fun!" As she spoke the Doctor came up behind her, finally managing to land a hand over her mouth, muffling her voice though she still attempted to speak through it, making everyone laugh for a moment.

"I think that's a yes," the Doctor chuckled before exclaiming loudly and pulling his hand away from Josie. "You licked me!"

She shrugged, "Taste of your own medicine. You lick everything."

The Doctor began to pout as everyone moved to their positions around the TARDIS console. The two Time Lords had decided, as they had enough people to fly it properly, that their companions should learn how to fly. Though Jack had learned long before Billie and Josie first stepped aboard, it was different when so many hands had to work together and only three of the owners of said hands were telepathic. Still, it wasn't long before they were working together like a well-oiled machine, moving around and with each other as if dancing around the controls. Billie couldn't help but smile as she spun a dial and pushed down a giant yellow button.

They landed with a jolt, each hanging on for dear life so as not to be thrown across the room. Billie chuckled watching Josie let out a squeal as she landed on her butt unexpectedly. They all got up from their various sprawled positions, dusted themselves off, and headed for the door, Jack and Josie excitedly leading the way followed closely by the Doctor who never could deny his manic energy. Billie hung back with the Professor, their hands intertwining between them. She smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder as he pressed a kiss to her hair and led her out the door after their family.

"Oh yes!" Jack called happily. "My dear sisters," he reached back and tugged a reluctant Billie forward, though she managed to hang on to the Professor's hand, bringing him with her. Josie stood on Jack's other side, their arms linked while her other hand held the Doctor's. Jack wrapped his free arm around Billie's shoulders, hugging her against him, "Welcome to LA."


	3. Animal City: Surprises

**And here's part 2 of Animal City. It's a bit of a slow burn, but there's some plot in this one...more of a hint of one, but it's progress! Hope you like it!**

**Oh, and thank you all who reviewed! Every review I get makes me smile!**

**Disclaimer: I don't even live in England, let alone own something that comes from there.**

Josie had, quite literally, dragged her all over the five story shopping mall in the heart of LA. On her best day, she might not have minded, but the fact of the matter was, she wasn't feeling particularly loving toward her sister since the ginger had pulled her away from the Professor's side at the same time as Jack pulled the boys off to God knows where. She didn't feel very comfortable being this far away from him right now. Even after all this time she was feeling unsteady after the Caxer nearly overpowered her and having the Professor nearby seemed to ease some of the ache in her mind. At least she could still feel him in her mind. The alien had decided that if they were forced to spend the next few hours apart, they may as well practice her long-range telepath abilities, which were, honestly, a bit dismal.

At first they had merely been talking about random stuff they saw in shop windows and people watching. Once he felt she was handling that well he moved on to actually showing her things he saw, projecting pictures into her mind. It took a lot of concentration, but she managed to return the favor a couple times. A small headache was starting to form at her temples, but so far she'd been able to ignore it and he didn't show any signs of noticing.

Currently he was in the middle of showing her how Jack had spectacularly failed at flirting with a woman who was clearly alien. According to the Professor she was part of a species that only had females, no males, and so was forced to cross-breed, humans being the husband of choice more often than not. Unfortunately they tended to eat the males afterward. Luckily, Jack had stumbled upon one of the few lesbians in that species.

Billie bit her lip to keep from laughing which quickly faded into a scowl as Josie shoved another stack of party dresses into her arms. She sighed, "You do realize the TARDIS has more than enough clothes for us, don't you? We don't actually _need_ to buy anything."

"Bite your tongue," Josie shook her head. "And besides, I never said anything about actually purchasing anything, now did I? It's just fun to try on clothes."

Billie rolled her eyes but decided not to argue. It wasn't like her sister would listen anyway. Instead, she trudged to the dressing rooms with her armful of clothes. It turned out Josie was right. Billie had fun trying on the dresses, some more outrageous than others and pretend to walk a catwalk with her sister up and down the hall of dressing rooms. It seemed their laughter and goofiness was contagious as they soon had the whole store, employees included, playing along. The manager even started commentating on the clothes with the loudspeaker. She could even feel amusement drifting over her link with the Professor and realized belatedly that she'd been projecting images of the impromptu fashion show to him. He'd been right. It _was_ easier with practice. With that thought she heard a smug, "_I told you so_."

An all-too familiar catcall and wolf whistle had her head whipping around until she spotted Jack leaning against a far wall and clearly enjoying himself as women began to strut their stuff in bikinis. She rolled her eyes and flagged down Josie who agreed to change and pay for the few things they were actually going to buy.

The manager met them at the counter with a wide smile. "Oh no. For you ladies, it's on the house," he said when Billie tried to hand over her credit stick.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why?" Josie asked curiously.

"You're kidding right?" he chuckled. "I haven't made this much profit since Christmas. Your little fashion show drew in a lot of customers for this time of year. This is the least I can do." He finished bagging their clothes and handed them over, "Please feel free to come back anytime."

"Oh most definitely," Josie grinned, turning on her heel to skip off to where Jack was waiting for them. Billie thanked the manager one more time before following.

Glancing around, Billie quickly discovered their lack of two Time Lords. Frowning, she mentally asked the Professor where he was and immediately got a picture of a ship parts shop in response. She shrugged and made him promise to meet with them later before focusing on the conversation in front of her.

"Teach and Doc had to find a few spare parts for the TARDIS," Jack was explaining. "So I thought I'd take this opportunity to give you both my surprise."

"Surprise?" Josie asked, practically vibrating in excitement. "What surprise?"

Jack grinned, looping their arms through his as he led them away, "Think of it as a way to make up all those birthdays I wasn't there for."

Billie snorted, "You didn't even know we existed, let alone that we were your sisters. It's hardly your fault if you've missed stuff."

"Yeah," the ginger agreed. "It's our no-good-dirty-rotten father who's to blame."

Jack shook his head, but didn't say anything. Out of the three of them, he was the only one who actually remembered their father. Billie, of course, was a product of a one night stand (something her mother never failed to remind her of) and their dad left Josie's mom when she was still a toddler. Neither woman had any reason to be particularly endeared to the man. But Jack had had an actual father up until his teens when he joined the Time Agency. He didn't have a reason to curse their father's name, as far as Billie knew, so she tried not to slander the man too much, even if Jack admitted to having a great dislike for him, especially now.

Their conversation drifted to much more amiable topics as they meandered through the crowds, only Jack knowing exactly where they were headed. With a sigh, Billie rested her head on her brother's shoulder. Not that she didn't enjoy exploring new places and all the excitement that came with it, but she really enjoyed these moments most. The quiet moments when it was just her and those she cared for happily spending lazy days together, being goofy and playful or having those serious, defining moments. She didn't care which one as long as she could sequester herself off with them for a while. Maybe they could have another movie night later…

Her pleasant, languid thoughts were abruptly cut off by a person slamming into her side and unbalancing her enough to disrupt Jack. He reached out to steady her as she turned to see who had plowed into her, but whoever it was had disappeared into the crowd again.

"Ow!" Josie hissed, hand slapping over her neck. With a frown she rubbed the spot, "I think a bug just bit me."

Jack chuckled and shook his head, "C'mon, let's get to the store before you two really start something."

Josie playfully slapped his chest as he threw his arms over their shoulders. Billie allowed herself to be pulled along while her eyes continued to scan the crowd. She didn't know why, but her gut was screaming at her right now. Something was not quite right.

* * *

From the shadows, a pair of pink eyes trailed after the trio as they headed back into the crowd. Two down, three to go.

* * *

Josie squealed loudly, making Jack and Billie wince, "Really? You're really gonna let us get tattoos?"

Jack chuckled and ruffled her hair making her growl, "Of course. I thought we all could."

"Is it safe?" Billie asked, following her overeager sister and amused brother.

"Of course," Jack gently pushed her to a holofolder containing examples. "They don't even use needles anymore. Zero chance of infection. I wouldn't bring you guys otherwise."

Billie nodded, leaning on an elbow as she flipped through the choices. Seeing that she wouldn't need any help for some time, Jack wandered over to his other, youngest sister who was watching an explanatory video. Tattoos in the fifty-first century were done using nanobots. The costumer just had to swallow a little pill and the tiny robots would ink the skin from the inside out, programed with where and what ahead of time.

"It's that easy?" she asked, sounding a bit bewildered.

"Yep," he shrugged. "Never felt the need to get one till now, but I thought it'd be something we could do together. Plus isn't there some rule about older brothers taking their siblings to get their first tattoo?"

Josie giggled, shaking her head, "Wouldn't know, would I? Still, I think we should all get matching tattoos. It'll mean more then."

Jack smiled softly. God, it was nice to finally have this sense of family again. Sure, he considered his team back home as a sort of pseudo-family, but this just felt different, more secure. His team, while he trusted them impeccably, still sometimes looked at him like _he_ was the alien in the room. He could understand that to an extent, after all they were simple humans while he was…more. Being with them would never have the sense of belonging that being with Josie and Billie did. He really never wanted this to end.

"Oh, I know! We should get the TARDIS," Josie said excitedly.

"No," Billie answered from across the room. "I'd rather not have to explain back home why I have a police call box for a tattoo."

"True. Well, we need something memorable."

"Memorable or meaningful."

"Touché."

Jack grinned at his sister's bickering, eyes making contact with the shop owner briefly. The man was rather large and the stereotypical tattoo artist. He shook his head at the girls before moving on to another costumer who was ready. Suddenly he felt someone nudge him out of the way to grab a holofolder. He moved closer to his sisters slightly without looking back.

"Why don't we just get each other's names?" he asked finally.

Josie groaned, "That's so cliché, Sparrow. We need something more unique."

He rolled his eyes but shrugged, "I just don't think we're gonna get more meaningful then our names, or at the very least initials."

"Names," Billie said slowly, flagging down the owner as he emerged from the back. "Do you have a paper and pencil I could borrow?"

He nodded, handing her the requested objects without batting an eye.

"What are you doing?" Josie asked, leaning on her sister's back to look over her shoulder at the paper.

"I have an idea. It'll be meaningful and unique, and as an added bonus, it has a link to the Professor and the Doctor."

Jack moved closer curiously, glancing at Billie's work as a smile spread across his face. It was perfect.

* * *

Three down, two to go.


	4. Animal City: A Lazy Smile

**So here's part 3. Hope you all like the story line so far. It's been fun for me to write. I don't really have much else to say, so just enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: Ya, Kidnapping isn't really my bag of tea, so that idea is out. Still not mine.**

The Professor frowned as he spotted the three Harknesses walking arm-in-arm out of the tattoo parlor. Each Human-Plus had a wide grin on their faces while they chatted excitedly, bags hanging off the girls' free hands. He stepped forward, the Doctor tearing himself away from a display of new holographic televisions to follow after him. They met the trio halfway through the walkway, people parting to make room for their small group. Billie's eyes snapped up the moment he was within sight and her small grin blew up into a beaming smile as she detangled herself from Jack's side and practically skipped to the Professor's. The Doctor chuckled, moving to join Josie and Jack.

The alien turned his attention to the girl now grasping his hand with a lazy smile, "_What were you three doing in there?_" He wasn't sure why he continued using telepathy, but it seemed natural when he was conversing with Billie.

She shrugged, leaning her head on his shoulder as if she were suddenly tired, "_Jack wanted to get us something to make up for all the gift-giving occasions he's missed. I told him he didn't have to but he insisted._" She stifled a yawn as they began to move after the others, a decision to go eat having been agreed upon while they were distracted.

His earlier frown returned, deeper, "_So he thought a tattoo was the best choice?_"

A slim arm wound around his waist and squeezed reassuringly, "_Sort of. The three of us got matching tattoos. I'll tell you about it later. We just thought, since he has to go back to his team eventually, it'd be nice to have something that would constantly be there as a reminder of each other, you know?_"

He nodded as he draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her closer so that they could avoid running into a woman with a floating stroller. It wasn't that he blamed them for wanting a memento of their time together, but it would have been nice to be included in the decision-making process. Leaving him and the Doctor out kind of made him feel like the Time Lords weren't seen as family to them. And when Jack, Josie, and Billie were the only real things (besides the TARDIS) they had in life, it hurt to think they didn't feel the same. He shook his head. No, they all cared deeply for the aliens. After all, Billie mentioned Jack leaving, not her or Josie. Clearly his insecurities were unfounded, though he couldn't quite shake all of the uncertainty that had settled in his stomach.

Billie yawned widely again, growling a little at the end in annoyance, distracting him from his mental rant and making him chuckle, though he was a little worried. She hadn't seemed all that tired earlier, and they hadn't done anything strenuous today. And yet she was leaning heavily into his side, blinking rapidly as if struggling to stay awake.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, his spoken voice seeming to shake her out of a drowsy stupor.

She blinked up at him for a second before sharply shaking her head to focus, "Yeah. Sorry. Guess I didn't sleep too well last night."

The Professor found himself frowning yet again. He knew that was a lie. Since the Caxer incident, he'd taken to slipping into her room at night to help keep the nightmares at bay, sometimes invited, other times after she'd already drifted off. It was the least he could do seeing as she did the same for him whenever the Time War haunted him at night. So he knew for a fact that she had slept rather heavily last night, light snores filling the otherwise silent room as her face was pressed into the crook of his neck, breath tickling his sensitive skin. Whatever was happening to her now, was something she felt the need to hide from him, and that alone made panic begin to rise in his chest.

"Billie," he began slowly, trying to think of a way to voice his concerns. Sometimes he really hated how hard it was for him to communicate his emotions. Normally Billie could just tell, he wouldn't have to say anything, but she seemed too distracted by something and he didn't want to invade her privacy by looking for it in her mind without her permission.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a man suddenly knocked into his free shoulder, the one Billie wasn't leaning against. It wasn't hard enough to jolt him, but enough for him to notice. He glanced up, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary, but everything around him looked very typical for an LA mall in the middle of the day.

Josie spun around and walked backwards so she could talk to her sister, drawing him back to the matter at hand, "So, you wanna go to that club Jack was telling us about?"

Billie was shaking her head before the Professor even had time to form an argument, "I don't really feel up to it, Josie."

The ginger tilted her head, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing really. I just feel a little off. I think I'd rather go back to the TARDIS and lay down for a while. Maybe pop some popcorn and watch a movie or something."

The Professor didn't miss the looks of concern Josie traded with the Doctor.

"Do you want us to come with you?" the younger woman asked hesitantly.

"No, you guys go have fun. I'll be fine on my own."

"If you're sure…" Josie continued to hesitate, now grasping the Doctor's arm so she wouldn't trip as she continued to walk backwards.

Billie laughed lightly, "Yes, I am. Seriously. We'll do something fun tomorrow. Maybe the beach?"

Josie's smile brightened at the thought and she nodded as she spun back around, "Deal."

The Professor glanced down at the top of Billie's head where she was resting it against him, "_Do you want me to stay with you?_"

It was a moment before he received her timid reply, "_Please._"

He smiled, pressing his lips to her crown as Jack finally led them to a small burger place for lunch.

* * *

"Four down, Master," the high-pitched voice squeaked from the shadows as another form materialized beside it.

"One to go," it said with a nasally voice, clapping a hand on the other's shoulder, "You have done well, Tak."

Glee shown out of the pale bald man's face though he tried to reign in as he bowed his head, "Thank you, Master."

"Tell me, Tak," the equally pale man asked, raising a glass vial filled with bright yellow liquid to look at more clearly, his pure white eyes gleaming. "Which ones have you fed them?"

"Well," Tak's pink eyes stared adoringly at his Master. "As you know, I can only infect them with what they already hold within themselves. I have used Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Sloth, so far."

"And the last?"

"I do not know, Master. I will know more when I can get closer."

"Of course," the taller man nodded, turning back to eye the Time Lords and their companions as they entered an eating establishment. "Soon. Soon my family, our people, will be avenged for what that scum has done to us."

* * *

After a quick meal, the time travelers retreated to the TARDIS. Jack and Josie disappeared into the wardrobe while the Doctor shrugged and lowered himself under the console to do minor repairs. It would be a while before the humans reemerged in clothes they deemed appropriate for going out. The Professor ignored his brother, reaching down as Billie swayed slightly on her feet and picked her up bridal style. She blinked up at him, shocked to suddenly be lifted up into the air.

"_Alright?_"

She nodded weakly, stifling yet another yawn with the back of her hand, "_I don't know what's wrong with me._"

Her mental voice had taken on a slightly worried edge, making the Professor's strides quicken as he carried her to her room. The plain mahogany door came into view before he spotted his own room across the hall. He hesitated for half a second before sighing and carrying into his own Spartan room. Or what used to be Spartan. Though Billie only spent a very little amount of time in here, she'd asked the TARDIS to add in some comfortable, overstuffed armchairs, footstools, and a fireplace on one wall and his bookshelves actually had books and knickknacks she'd picked up for him on various adventures. His bedding was no longer a dull gray but a dark midnight blue. Even the walls had a bit of cream color instead of plain white.

Gently he eased the half-conscious girl from his arms onto his bed, sitting down on the edge to tug off her trainers. She didn't stir as he stood and grabbed the folded duvet from the bottom of the bed and tucked her into his bed. Her slightly glazed over eyes cracked open to stare at him before a lazy smile spread across her face and she drifted off to sleep.

Apprehension twisted in his gut. The Professor fumbled with his pockets until he managed to locate his sonic. He flicked it on, running it over the sleeping woman's body as his scowl became more and more apparent. This was not good. Very, _very_ not good. Indignation, raw hot anger, rose up in him, burning him from the inside out at the thought of anyone daring to lay a hand on _his_ Billie. They were going to pay. And he knew just who would do this.


End file.
